CLASSIC MATCH:The Swiss’ win means that he will face Grand Slam archrival Rafael Nadal in the semis, after the Spaniard overcame a hand blister to beat Grigor Dimitrov

Switzerland’s Roger Federer celebrates after defeating Britain’s Andy Murray yesterday in their Australian Open men’s singles quarter-final in Melbourne Park.

Photo: EPA

Roger Federer fought back from a mid-match stumble against Andy Murray yesterday to set up a classic Australian Open semi-final with Rafael Nadal, as women’s champion Victoria Azarenka became the latest star to fall.

After Nadal battled through an unexpectedly tough quarter-final with Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, Federer showed both his vintage best and his fallibility in beating Murray 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

The Swiss great was electric in the first two sets, but tightened as he neared the finishing line and was broken when serving for the win, before passing up two match points in the third-set tiebreaker.

However, he extended Murray in a 19-minute hold at the start of the fourth set, then got the crucial break for 5-3 and, after setting up a third match point, grabbed the opportunity with an ace.

“I thought Andy did well, he kept the ball in play and put the pressure on me and unfortunately I couldn’t get it done in the third set, with either the serve or the forehand missing. So I am happy to get the win in four,” Federer said.

Federer, in his 11th consecutive Australian Open semi-final, will face the man who has become his Grand Slam nemesis, winning their past five major encounters.

However, a day after Novak Djokovic’s three-year Melbourne reign was halted by Stanislas Wawrinka, Nadal also flirted with disaster before defeating rising star Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

The 13-time Grand Slam champion, troubled by a huge blister on his racquet hand, went a set down against the exciting young prospect and — facing set points in the third — he was tottering.

Yet Dimitrov, 22, went just long on the first set point and Nadal saved another before the Bulgarian gave him a one-set lead when, gifted an easy winner off a net cord, he ballooned his forehand out.

“I was so lucky,” said the Spaniard, who ran out a 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 winner to set up a meeting with Federer in his 22nd Grand Slam semi-final.

Djokovic’s defeat by Wawrinka, who will play Tomas Berdych in the other semi, ensures that one of them will be able to challenge either Nadal or Federer for their maiden Grand Slam title.

The women’s contest has been even more up-ended and there was an air of resignation rather than shock when Azarenka tamely followed Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova out of the tournament.

The Belarussian world No. 2 two was unbeaten in two years at Melbourne Park, but was comprehensively dismantled by an inspired Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-0.

“I’ll be fine tomorrow. I’ll be working tomorrow. It’s not the end of the world, but I’m not happy with what I did today,” Azarenka said.

The upset also ensures the tournament will have a new women’s champion with none of the semi-finalists — Radwanska, Dominika Cibulkova, Li Na and Eugenie Bouchard — having won before.

Cibulkova reached her second Slam semi-final when she won against rising Romanian star Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0.